If you've considered why a firm pays big bucks for a motivational speaker, it's because this person inspires people to improve their performance. In a small business, you might not be able to afford motivational speakers, but you are a public speaker each day for your staff. You must inspire people to achieve the goals you have for your small business.

Overview of Importance

Public speaking skills help you communicate important messages inside and outside of the organization. By practicing public speaking, you learn how to prepare a message for each type of audience. For example, you would prepare a different speech for a fund-raising dinner than you would for a parent-teacher conference. Over time, you learn to think on your feet, taking information from the social environment and changing your communication patterns to suit the occasion.

Importance of Clear Expression

A small business needs employees who can communicate what they're thinking in a clear manner. When you work for someone else, you can improve these skills over time. When you work for yourself as a small business owner, you need to express yourself clearly every day, especially when you're dealing with customers.

Importance of Working With Diverse Audiences

Your skills in public speaking are tested when you must perform different jobs that are really public speaking in disguise. For example, if you must interview people for a job opening in your organization, you will get diverse candidates. You must be able to talk with them in person or on the phone and determine whether they have the combination of qualities to succeed in the job. You will have to communicate with them frequently if they join your work organization.

Importance for Leadership

Most of all, public speaking skills are important for leaders. Whether you serve as a president of a civic group or run a small firm, you must communicate with an intent, such as to persuade, to inform or to motivate. You should be able to ask questions, state what your organization needs, represent a position on an issue, respond to other people's opinions and build consensus. If you cannot communicate clearly and motivate others through public speaking, it will be harder to realize your goals for your small business.

About the Author

Audra Bianca has been writing professionally since 2007, with her work covering a variety of subjects and appearing on various websites. Her favorite audiences to write for are small-business owners and job searchers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master of Public Administration from a Florida public university.